The present invention relates to a double action pistol. More particularly the invention relates to a firing assembly for a double action pistol.
Pistols can generally be classified as either single action or double action depending upon the firing action the pistol. In a single action pistol, the hammer must be manually cocked before the pistol can be fired. It should be noted that many guns are hammer-less but have internal strikers that hit a firing pin in analogous function to a hammer. For purposes of describing the present invention the term hammer includes strikers or the like. A hammer is cocked by pivoting the hammer rearwardly into engagement with a sear. The rearward rotation of the hammer causes a hammer spring to be compressed and the sear engages the hammer to maintain the compression of the spring. The trigger can then be pulled to fire the pistol. The trigger pull causes the sear to disengage from the hammer, thereby allowing the hammer spring to act on the hammer to fire the pistol. This method of operation is known as a single action because the trigger pull accomplishes the single action of disengaging the sear from the hammer.
In a double action pistol, the trigger pull performs two actions. The first part of the double action trigger pull cocks the hammer and compresses the hammer spring and the second part of the trigger pull releases the hammer to fire the pistol. Because the double action trigger pull must rotate the hammer into engagement with the sear and compress the hammer spring, the typical double action trigger pull is longer and requires greater force than the typical single action trigger pull.
In some double action pistols, commonly referred to as conventional double action pistols, the recoil action of the pistol is used to re-cock the hammer for the next shot. The pistol then operates similar to a single action in that each subsequent trigger pull must only release the hammer to fire the next shot. In other double action pistols, commonly referred to as double action only pistols, the hammer returns to the uncocked position after each round is fired. Thus, the trigger pull in a double action only pistol cocks the hammer on every trigger pull.
Double action pistols are generally considered safer than single action pistols because the longer trigger pull of the double action means that a more deliberate action on the part of the user is needed to fire the pistol. Thus, the double action pistol is less susceptible to accidental shootings caused by stress induced loss of fine motor skills.
However, double action pistols are also generally considered less accurate than single action pistols. The reduced accuracy is a result of the double action pistol compressing the hammer spring as part of the trigger pull. Because the hammer spring must be compressed, the force required to pull the trigger is greater in a double action pistol than a single action. This increased force, in combination with the longer trigger pull, makes accurate shooting more difficult. In addition, in a conventional double action pistol, the force required pull the trigger on the second shot is less than the force required on the first shot because the recoil action compresses the hammer spring and the force on the trigger must merely release the sear. Thus, the user encounters inconsistent trigger forces, which may further disrupt shooting accuracy.
In light of the foregoing there is a need for a pistol that includes the safety benefits of the longer pull of the double action with the consistent trigger force of a single action.